File Format:

Clem Imhoff interviews Sadie Bell on July 15, 1976 in Beloit, Wisconsin. Bell speaks of her family background in Pontotoc, Mississippi, their move to Beloit, her attendance at the Strong school, and her childhood recreation activities. Bell also tells of her families' attendance at Emmanuel Baptist Church, her work in Rockford as the first black employee at W.T. Grant, and work at Clara Stone's store as the first black salesperson in Beloit. Other topics include the importance of Clara Stone's Jewish background, Bell's experience as the local NAACP president, and the open housing effort in Beloit.

This oral history is part of a series of tape-recorded interviews conducted in 1976 by Clem Imhoff for the Beloit Bicentennial Commission with black and white residents of Beloit, Wisconsin, concerning migration of blacks to the city from Kentucky and Mississippi after World War I and their lives before and after the move. Included in the interviews are references to employment and labor problems at Fairbanks-Morse, education, churches, the Women's Community Club, Beloit College, and the local chapter of the NAACP.

Copyright to this audio belongs to the Wisconsin Historical Society or, in certain cases, either to the individuals who created them or the organizations for which they worked. We share them here strictly for non-profit educational purposes. If you have questions related to the copyright status of material included here, please contact us at asklibrary@wisconsinhistory.org.